In all my years of architecture school and practice, there seems to be a pervasive myth that my job is pretty and easy. Here, I reveal the painful, ugly truth about why it takes so long to build a building, what it is exactly that we do, and why that's not creamer you smell in my coffee.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Just got done with the interview for another project. Bosley, Howie, and I got back to the office around 1pm, but around 2:30 I just didn't have any energy left, so I headed home. I'll be in better shape to get started again on FCH tomorrow.

The interview went pretty well, better than the last one. We got started late because one of the folks from the client's side was late to the interview meeting, so suddenly we were already five or so minutes behind, and then Bosley got started slow with his overview and introduction. By the time we got to my stuff about how we help hospitals plan for the future and how we do green design, I was having to rush so much that I almost might have well have said, "We build hospitals! Real good, too! I like spaghetti!"

The Q&A went pretty well, for the most part, except that it's apparent that someone at Wheatlands is talking smack about us and word is filtering around. Howie put in a nother call to Wheatland's CEO, who confirmed that all was well with us and them and the contractor on Wheatlands, but we're all still wondering about who's talking to whom about this? Who is it that's going around saying that a bunch of punchlist items didn't get picked up and they got poor post-construction service? Weird. I think I did pretty well, especially since I didn't have my stuff fully memorized and had to rush through it anyway, but I feel like I held my own during the Q&A part and was able to sound semi-coherent when it came to discussions about how we would design their department to the latest and greatest standards as well as questions about relevant codes.

Howie mentioned recently that I'm going to have to be busier than I can stand to be in order to stay busy enough. Makes sense on a certain level--we need a few projects each to re-right the ship of Design Associates and keep everyone employed that we can. The thought of it wears me out though; maybe it's because I've been up since 5am.

About Me

I'm a (finally) licensed architect out here in the wild, wild West who kicks butts and punches lists. I focus on designing hospitals, which--between the program and the clients--is a real challenge. I like what I do for a living, and have the site observation photos to prove it. My job is part designer, part technician, part software guru, part counselor, part therapist, part spiritual guide, and part repo man. So don't toy with me, or I'll refuse to sign your Pay Application.

Note and Disclaimer

The content on this blog is not approved by my employers, fellow employees, or any professional organization involved in the design or construction industry. The opinions expressed here are mine and mine alone and should not be considered representative of the opinions of my employers or my profession.
Any professional opinions, design concepts, layouts, and details should be taken with a grain of salt and a large margarita. This blog should not be used in place of consulting a design or construction professional in person, nor should it be a substitute for having a professional review your particular project.
All names and identifying details have been changed to protect the innocent as well as the guilty.
No, I will not design your deck for you.